This Chennai Startup is Creating Job Opportunities for Transgenders in India

A Chennai-based startup called Peri Ferry is on a mission to push for inclusivity in the Indian workspace. Even though India is considered as a fairly inclusive nation with numerous cultures and languages living together peacefully, but when it comes to transgenders and transsexuals, they still face a hard time adjusting in the society and earn a respectable living.

Peri Ferry helps transgenders and inclusive companies find each other. While there are several non-profit organisations working for transgender welfare in India, the Chennai-based non-profit has been successful in penetrating all networks in a very short period of time. This is mainly because the startup has best interest of their candidates at their heart and makes sure that they get a job in a field of their liking.

What Does Peri Ferry Do?

• They act as equal opportunity job consultants for Transgenders and Transsexuals and provide them with alternative job solutions.

• They aim to access the untapped talent pool in the Indian subcontinent, and bridge the gap between an inclusive employer and a deserving candidate. They work towards widening the viewpoints and perspectives that a majority workplaces might predominantly have in India regarding employing transgenders and transsexuals.

How Do They Do This?

About The Founder

Neelam Jain, Founder and CEO, Peri Ferry, started the platform while working at Goldman Sachs. During one of the internal competitions there, Jain was required to come up with an idea for an initiative which would have a social impact. This is when she came with an idea of an inclusive workplace focusing on the Transgenders community. After an year of brainstorming and improving on her basic idea, Peri Ferry was born in April this year. The company is currently running from a co-working space in Mylapore.

Talking to New India Express about how they’re helping Transgenders community, Neelam Jain said, “We target companies that have about 30 employees as it’s easier to sensitise smaller workspaces. We particularly encourage young transgenders because the number of educated candidates is highest in the 18-28 age group.”

The startup believes that while education is important, interviews are also important and much harder to prepare. Therefore, they have a in-house soft skills trainer to prep up the candidates for their interviews. After providing training, they map the candidates with a prospective employer.

The startup hasn’t received any external funding as of now, and is running on savings.